Ribbon holding and feeding device for printing machines



May 26 1331. 1 H. MORSE 1,807,322

RIBBON HOLDING AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR ARINTING MACHINES `Filed Sept. ll. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ganan/nto@ May 26, 1931. L. H. MORSE 1,807,322

RIBBON HOLDING AND FEEDING DEVICEl FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed sept, 11. 1929 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1931 UNi'rED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE II. MORSE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 AMERICAN MULTIGRAPI'I CO., 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RIBBON HOLDING .AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING MACHINES Application filed September 11, 1329. Serial No. 391,716.

Patent No. 997,287 which issued July 11th, 1911 to my assignee rlhe American Multigraph Company shows a rotarydrum carrying a printing form, an inking ribbon overlying the form and having itsv ends wound on a pair of spools within the drum, and mech anisin for periodically feeding such ribbon as the impressions progress and for automatically reversing'the direction of feed when one of the ribbon spools becomes exhausted. In that patent the maximumV form is of less length than the width of the ribbon, so that a single ribbon entirely covers the form.

The present invention comprises means whereby a single ribbon may be adjusted in position lengthwise of the drum to cover any column-portion of the form, or a plurality of ribbons may be employed, and such ribbon or ribbons may be fed and reversed by automatic feeding mechanism similar to that of the patent mentioned. I can'thus print, at will from anyv desired column-portion of the form l while the rest of the form remains mounted but out of action, or I can print in diierent colors, or I can print one portion through a ribbon and directly ink another portion. By providing a comparatively long drum and a cooperating platen of corresponding length, I can locatethe formV in any desired'position .o-nthe drum to print, for instance, near the left hand margin of the sheet or the right hand margin or interinediately. Accordingly by my invention I have materially increased'the range of printing which e amachine'of this character is capable of effecting. Y

My invention is hereinafter more fully explaine-d in connection. with the drawings, and its essential novel 'features lare summarized in the claims. r

In the drawings, Fig. Vl is a longitudinal y Fig. 2; F ig. 2 isa vertical cross-section of the same, as indicated by the line 2-2 on' Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary elevations looking in opposite directions of a portion of the printing drum and theribbon feeding'mechanism mounted thereon; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the right hand frame member of the multigraph machine shown in Fig. 1 and the ribbon feeding mechanism adjacent that member; Fig., 6 is a perspective view of one of the ribbon spools,its supporting shaft and the member which drives the shaft.

As showniin Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the frame of the multigraph comprises a bed 10 and two upstanding standards or end plates 11 and 12 rigid therewith. Mounted in these end plates is the main shaft 2() adapted to receive a crank or other means (not shown) for rotating it. Keyed on this shaft are a pair of spider-like members 21 and 22, which with the shaft constitute a skeleton drum. `This drum carries a suitable segmental printing member.

I have shown a segment resting on the members 21 and 22 and braced by webs 31 and having hooks 32 anchored on a rod 33 carried by these webs, these hooks springing over and engaging the shaft 20. The segment may carry any suitable form of printing member, as for instance, rails 35 for carryingindividual type, or a suitable4 blanket 36 Vcarryin g printing characters and clamped in place on the segment, as will be well under stood.V The printing surface coacts with a rotary platen 40 suitably mounted in the bed of the machine and shown as having a gear 41 meshing with a gear 25 on the skeleton drum. Y

The skeleton drinn carries opposite the segment a pair of ribbon spools from one of which an inked ribbon 51 extends about the matter on the drum to the other spool, where fore by the rotation of the drum and Acoaction with the platen I `may print through the ribbon on paper suitably fed between the drum and platen. Instead however of providing a single wide ribbon overlying the whole forni as heretofore, I provide one or more narrower ribbons adjustable longitudinally, as about to be described.

. Imount the ribbon spools 50 slidably on a pair of shafts which are rotatably mounted in the skeleton drum and connected with the ribbon feedingmechanism. As the ribbon feeding mechanism drives these shafts instead of the spools directly as heretofore, and

the spools are slidable but not independently rotatable on the shafts, it follows that the ribbon may be adjusted to any desired posi-,

tion lengthwise of the drum, or a plurality of ribbon spools may be mounted on each shaft, and still the feeding and automatic reversing of the ribbon, accomplished as heretofore.

The shafts on which the spools are mounted are designated (50. Each shaft has an angular exterior which occupies a correspondingly shaped opening in a spool, so that they are not independently rotatable. As shown, the shaft is hexagonal in form and the spool has two heads rigidly carried by its barrel, each of which has a hexagonal hole 54 coaxial with the barrel.

Each shaft is shown as having in one end a cylindrical recess G1 which is adapted to be occupied by a pin 27 mounted in the skeleton drum member 21 and pressed toward the other drum member by a spring 28. 0n the other end of the shaft 60 is a collar 63 having a notch 64. The drum member 22 is provided with a. pair of rotary ratchet wheels and 71, rotatably mounted on stationary studs 73. These studs are adapted to enter recesses in the ends of the collar 63. Each ratchet wheel also has an cccentrically projecting lug 74 which is adapted to enter the notch G4 of the corresponding shaft. From this it follows that if either ratchet wheel is rotated, the shaft 60 is correspondi'ngly rotated and this rotates the spool carried by that shaft, irrespective of the position of the spool on the shaft.

To mount the spool on the drum, it is only necessary to pass one of the shafts 60, while off of the drum, through the bore of the spool; then to place the left hand end (Fig. 1) of the shaft about the pin 27 and push it toward the left; then to bring the right hand end of th-e shaft into alignment with the stud 73 and let the spring push the shaft baekwardly toward the right with the stud 73 in the bore of the shaft at that end and the lug 74 in a notch 64. When the spools have been thus mounted in the drum, they may be adjusted as desired lengthwise of the shafts.

` Any suitable means may be employed to rotate one ratchet wheel 70 or the other, and to change the feed from one to the other whenever the non-driven spool becomes empty. I prefer however to employ for this purpose substantially the mechanism shown inthe patent referred to, which is illustrated herein in F 3, 4f and 5 and will now be described.

In th-ese views S0 indicates a stationary eccentric about which extends an eccentric strap 81. At its outer end this strap is pivoted to a radial bar S5, the inner end of which yokes about a bushing on the shaft 20, the outer end of which is guided by havingl a perforated lug 86 slidably mounted on a rz dial pin 29 carried by the drum spider 22. The result is that this bar is reciproeated radially as the drum rotates.

Pivoted intermediately to the bar 85 is a plate 90, and pivoted to this plate on the opposite sides of its pivot are two pawls 91. rPhe lower ends of these pawls are given a tendency to move toward each other by a spring 93 connected to such lower ends. Mounted on the pivot pins of the pawls are short rock arms 95 each rock arm having an overhanging lip 97 adapted to engage the outer side of the respective pawl. These two rock arms are constrained toward each other by a spring 98 which is materially stronger than the spring 93.

The upper end of the bar 85 is bent backward on itself after the manner of an inverted U as shown at 89, Fig. 5. Between this bent over portion and the body of the bar is a roller 100 which is adapted to lie in either of two recesses 101 in the plate 90. This roller is constrained inwardly radially by means of ya spring 102 anchored at its inner end to the pivot of the plate and connected at its outer end with a hook 103 passing through a slot 10-l in the bent over end of the bar 85 and passing into a central opening in the roller.

The operation of the above described construction is as follows: When the plate 90 is in either extreme position, it is normally held by the roller 100 and the spring 102 and accordingly reciprocates as one with the bar 85, this reciprocation causing the corresponding pawl 91 or 92 to engage the teeth of the corresponding ratchet 70 and feed the saine when the bar moves inward. The spring 98 acting on the rock arms prevents the paWls normally passing outwardly beyond the limits provided by the lugs 97, so that the unengaged pawl is normally idle. The engaged pavvl may swing inwardly, as the convexity of the ratchet moves it away from the lug, the spring 93 allowing this result. As shown in Fig. 3, the left hand pawl 91 is in position to engage its ratchet 70. If, however, the roller were in engagement with the other notch, the member 90 would be positioned so that the pawl 92 would be in position to engage its ratchet 71, the other pawl being idle.

hen either ribbon spool becomes empty, as, for example, the spool connected with the ratchet 70, the pawl operating therewith, for example 91, is retarded on its inward stroke by reason of the stretched ribbon preventing the ratchet rotating. This retardation anchors, as it were, the pivot of the pawl so that on the continued movement of the bar 85 and plate 90 swings this plate about such pivot, whereby it passes over to its other extreme position, the roller 100 being forced outwardly slightly and passing into the other depression.

The described movement cannot take place until the driving pawl, as 91,'has a firm hold on its ratchet and is held thereto by the back lash of the ratchet teeth and the pawl nose. Accordingly, when the plate 91 swings over to the other extreme position, the engaged pawl, as 91, does not immediately swing with it but retains its engagement with the former ratchet wheel, the spring 98 expanding to allow such movement. The other pawl, as 92 now comes into engagement with the wheel, and, accordingly, the driving mechanism is connected with both wheels, and the rest of the inward movement winds in both spools and tightens the ribbon. This tightening movement is only for a slight distance and insullicient to take up any slack in the ribbon.

Now, when the mechanism moves outwardly, the former pawl, as 91, releases its hold on the ratchet, and then, by reason of the con traction of the spring 98, swings backwardly into idle position, wherefore the' continued movement operates the newly engaged ratchet 71 only. It is to be understood that the elfe@ tive driving movement of the mechanism which moves the ribbon takes'place while the recess in which the spools are mounted is moving past the platen.

It will be seen that the mechanism described operates to rotate one or the other shaft 60 as determined by the condition of the. ribbons on the spools. The feed of the ribbon or ribbons progresses automatically until one of them is entirely wound off of its spool on the non-driven shaft, and then the feed automatically changes to that shaft and it is driven to wind the ribbon ontoits spool or spools. This automatic winding in the direction required takes place irrespective of the longitudinal position of the spools on theV shafts and enables the ribbon to be adjusted longitudinally with reference to the form, as heretofore explained.

Any suitable means may be employed to secure the end of the inking ribbon to its spool.

K F or instance, I may form a longitudinal slot 55 in the spool barrel and provide the ribbon with a thin metal head adapted to be passed edgewise through the slot and thereafter bridge the slot in the interior of the barrel after the manner of Patent No. 887 ,472. rIhe spool barrels may be secured to their heads by providing tongues 57 integral with the barrel which pass through openings 58 in the heads after which such tongues are bent over into depressed regions on the outer face of the head, as shown in Fig. 6.

The spools may be of any desired length but are preferably not over half of the length of one of the supporting shafts, so that at least two spools may be mounted on each shaft, if desired. For some work it will be useful to have one ribbon of standard width for a page form and another materially shorter spool adapted to carry a narrower ribbon which might, for instance, be of a red color. Such anarrower spoolis indicated in Fig. `1 by the broken lines 50a. A[claim:-" H l 1. The combination of a; rotary printing drum, a pair of ribbon spools carried thereby in a manner enabling them to be adjusted into various positions lengthwise ofA the drum without changing the driving action of the spool,`and mechanism for driving one of the spools as the drum rotates- Y 2; The combination of a rotary printing drum,fapair of non-circular shafts mounted therein, "a pair of yflanged spools `slida'ble bodily onthe respective'shafts and adaptedto carry a ribbon overlying the form on the drum, `and mechanism for automatically rotating one of the shafts as the drum rotates.

3. In ,a'printing machine, the combination with a frame, a rotary drum mounted therein and adapted to carry a printing form, a platen with'which the printing form may coact, ai pair lof non-circular shafts carried by the drum, a pairof` spools slidable but not independently rotatable onthe shafts, a ribbon extending from one spool'toV another and inter` mediately passing over the printing form, and mechanism for automatically rotating one shaft or the other periodically as the drum rotates to feed the ribbon. i 4.-"The` combination of al rotary printing drum, a pair of rotary ratchet members therein, means for periodically rotating one ratchet member -or ,the other as the drum rotates, a pair of non-circular Vlongitudinal shafts in the drum removably connected with the respective `ratchet members, and ribbon spools slidably mounted on the respective shafts.

5. The combination of a rotary `printing drum having a pair of end members, a pair of rotaryribbon feeding devices mounted Aon one of the end members, mechanism for automatically giving partial` rotations to one or the other of said devi-ces as the drum rotates, a pair of supports carried by the other. end member'4 in substantialalignment with said devices, a pair of shafts adapted to be removably mounted at one end on the supports and at the other on said device, and ribbon spools slidably mounted on the shafts but nonrotatable with reference thereto.

6. A ribbon-carrying unit for a printing machine, comprising a shaft having an angu` lar exterior and provided with means whereby it may be engaged at its opposite ends by supporting and feeding mechanisms, and a spool materially shorter than the shaft and having a pair of head-s with angular openings corre sponding in shape to the exterior of the shaft.

7. A spool for use in a printing machine comprising a hollow substantially cylindrical sheet metal barrel, a pair of sheet metal heads thereon secured to the ends of the barrel and inwardly overlapping the bore thereof, there being openings through the heads which are coaxial with the barrel and are smaller than its bore and have an angular contour, the openings in the two heads being of the same size and located on the same angular position, whereby the spool may be slidable along an angular shaft passing through said heads and barrel.

8. The combination of a rotary printing drum, a pair of angular shafts mounted therein, ribbon spools slidably mounted on the respective shafts but non-rotatable relative thereto and carrying a ribbon adapted to overlie a form on the drum, and mechanism for automatically rotating one shaft or the other as the drum rotates and for automatically changing the drive from one shaft to the other when any one of the spools becomes empty.

9. The combination of a rotary printing drum adapted to carry a form in various longitudinal locations thereon, a pair of longitudinal shafts removably mounted in the drum, a plurality of ribbon spools slidably mounted on each of the respective shafts, and means for periodically turning one of the shafts as the drum rotates.

l0. The combination of a rotary drum adapted to carry a form, a rotary platen adapted to coact with such form, and means adapted to be carried by the drum for differently inking different portions of the form which are located in different longitudinal regions on the drum.

ll. The combination with a rotary printing member, of a pair of rotary ribbon feeding devices mounted therein, means for giving one or the other of said devices a step by step partial rotation as the drum rotates, a pair of angular shafts removably connected with said feeding device, and plurality of ribbon spools slidably mounted on each of said shafts7 each pair of spools carrying a differently colored ribbon.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

LAWRENCE H. MORSE. 

